Horse shot to death on Pa. farm, 'laid there and suffered for a long time'

PENN RUN, Pa. — State police have been trying to figure out who fatally shot a horse on a western Pennsylvania farm.

Troopers from the Indiana barracks believe the incident happened between midnight and 4 a.m. Monday on the Helman Farm in Cherryhill Township. That's about 45 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, along Route 286.

Owner Robert Helman said he recently bought the horse to keep with 13 others. "We just ride them ... as pets," Helman said. "That horse is usually the first one down in the morning."

But on Monday, Helman, instead, found the animal lying on the ground. "It laid there and suffered for a long time," he said.

The animal had been shot once each in the abdomen and the head. Police believe the horse may have been shot by someone on the nearby highway.

A spokesman for the barracks could not be reached for comment, as police reported no other new leads Wednesday.

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